Steve Jobs ‘reality distortion field’

Apple CEO Steve Jobs was known for his presentation skills and ability to make company products look magical. This was sometimes called ‘Steve Jobs reality distortion field‘.

Take a careful look at Apple iPhone launch and related analysis of Steve Jobs presentation techniques. What do you think, was Steve just a great presenter or is there some other things that may have contributed to his reputation? Anything Steve could/should have done differently? What do you think about the analysis of Steve’s presentation techniques below?

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I agreed that Steve Jobs was an outstanding presenter because his presentation techniques were unique and effective. Jobs usually sets out his presentation with a big headline that immediately capture the audiences’ attention. His slides have few words and they point out the most important details and numbers in larger size font. He added humors where he can. For instance, he repeatedly told the audiences that he introducing 3 revolutionary products, but they are incorporated the 3 products into one device which is called the iPhone. He showed his excitement with constant smiles and emphasized his passion about design. As a presenter, he knew he must show enthusiasm for his audiences to have same emotion. If he is still alive today, I wonder what would he do differently in his approaches to introducing new technologies? Anyways, he is also very good at telling stories and ideas that everyone can relate on every levels. They are very convincing and just flow effortlessly with his presentation.

After watching the videos above, I can confidently say that Steve Jobs was an incredibly skilled presenter and possibly one of the best I have seen in the way he announced the launch of Apple’s new product. Mr. Jobs was a fantastic presenter because he was an outstanding story teller. He told the story of Apple’s history with such pride and conviction that the entire crowd began to “buy in” and to see Apple as an incredible tech giant and innovator when, in reality, it had not innovated on much yet. Then, Jobs quickly reinforced the image of his innovative company by introducing the IPhone. This truly was new and innovative technology and the response he received was incredible. Throughout his presentation, Jobs reiterated important points again and again. This can be seen when he repeatedly emphasizes the three different features of the new IPhone. Jobs used a masterfully crafted slide deck to emphasize his points and to highlight the important features of Apple’s new release. Large and powerful images (usually one or two per slide) as well as short but effective text painted the picture in the minds of the audience of the wonderful new phone they were going to see. Additionally, Jobs commanded the attention of the crowd with his tone and demeanor. The crowd fed off of his excitement and passion about the IPhone and then he fed off of theirs. That dynamic led to a knockout presentation. All of the aforementioned points illustrate just how effective of a presenter Steve Jobs really was.

Even after reviewing the video that discussed Steve Jobs supposed impressive presenting skills, I find that Steve Jobs is at best a mediocre presenter. Starting first with the the video detailing his presentation skills, one can see that the first half of the video was dedicated not to his presenting style or the way he carried himself, but rather the video focused on the look of his PowerPoints. I believe that design and delivery should be separated when discussing presentation skills. The second half touched on his delivery but gave no evidence that his method of delivery was in fact “good.” I think the video should have included some research done to support the argument, as currently, I have no reason to believe he was the reason the presentation went well. I would instead argue that many presenters, if given the opportunity to present on something as monumental as the iPhone, would do just as well if not better. I also find the activities that are touted as making Jobs unique are not at all unique. For example, consider the presenter’s argument that Steve Jobs smiling made a difference in the presentation and this being a key to his success. The video also mentioned that he smiling upon ordering 4,000 coffees, which I think is a very common thing to do, as this is not a particularly common event. Steve Jobs presentation skills are overblown and people neglect to disassociate Steve Jobs presentation skills with the products he has helped create. As a result, I believe he receives such accolades as a result of people intermingling their love for the product and his ability to sell it.

Tyler – Great analysis. I agreed with your point that Jobs presentation skills might have been overblown. The presentation skills are important and great to have. However, I believe that the product (or idea) and the quality of the product would have more weight than presentation skills itself. One of my favorite examples would be Elon Musk. By normal standards, he would not be considered a good presenter. He says “um” more than you can count and his sense of humor is horrible. But I can listen to his talk about how we can bring a man to Mars and become multiplanet species for hours because I buy into his ideas.

After watching the two videos, I have concluded that Steve Jobs was a very good presenter. He maintains strong eye contact, has placed humor and interactivity into the presentations, and he also creates an easy to follow story and slide deck. Although it may not be evident, I think that Jobs had very easy presentations, making him seem like an amazing presenter. A factor that may not be considered in his presentations is the technology. Jobs is releasing cutting edge technology to the world, of course people are going to love his presentations, of course people are going to respond to the tension he is creating in the auditorium. Jobs presents like he has a secret to tell the audience but keeps “beating around the bush.” This is not meant to be an attack on Jobs’ presentation skills, but I would like him to present on the newest microprocessor advancement, or the newest graphics card. The minimal slides and suspense building would not work in those cases, he would need to have a lot more information. As stated before, Steve Jobs was a very good presenter, but he was only very good because of what he was presenting.

Steve Jobs was a genius with his product vision and engaging presenting style. The reality distortion field was Jobs’ dream that was beyond anyone’s imagination. He had big ideas for the first touch-screen smartphone before anyone else did. At first, his team did not believe that it was possible to design a virtual keyboard to replace the physical QWERTY keyboard that dominated the market at the time. The compact design of the iPhone with powerful hardware was also unbelievable. But Jobs used his charisma and persuasion skill to convince his team to follow along on risky and costly projects such as the development of iPhone. A great product was an important component of a good product presentation.
In addition to a great product, Jobs cultivated his unique and effective presentation style. He crafted his story carefully and practiced over and over again before every presentation. All the words, body language, intonation, pauses, and actions were meticulously planned out and executed. He even anticipated the audience’s reaction beforehand. The analysis video illustrated many elements that Jobs utilized effectively. He used humor and translated technical details into plain and visual images for people to understand. He went through a story with a tight theme and used compelling words to describe his products. However, there were things that Jobs could have changed. For example, when talking about three advanced sensors, Steve Jobs could slow down and give clear visual examples of how these sensors worked. He talked about the accelerometer, but he could show videos of how the iPhone screen would change when a user rotated his/her iPhone. Overall, Steve Jobs was a respected leader who had a great product vision and compelling presentations.

Steve Jobs is a great presenter! There is no question about that. There are journalists who can write hundreds of pages of an essay saying he is one of the greatest’s. His ability to capture the audience and deliver his stories is incredible. However, we should also account for his credibility, his track records of building incredible products. Steve Jobs at this point, had been known for being a great innovator making revolutionary products such as Macintosh and the iPod. Given his track record of making amazing products, the idea of Jobs presenting a new product (iPhone) seemed much more exciting. Thus the audience’s willingness to listen increased, which in my opinion, partially affects the overall quality of the presentation. For example: If one has to make a decision between Steve Jobs presenting the revolutionary iPhone, or John Doe presenting his new cooking recipe. Assume that John Doe and Steve Jobs have identical presentation skills, the final judgment would be skewed.

Steve Jobs presentation is amazing, and I would not want to change a thing about it. The analysis of Steve’s presentation techniques is extremely helpful. It helps me better understand and learn from his presentation skills.

I think Steve Jobs was a great presenter, however, I believe his continuous innovations allowed him to create phenomenal presentations. Having such a reputation gave Jobs the niche to not only capture the audience but leave them speechless. The ideas and technology Jobs was presenting were fresh to the world allowing him to create a presentation with; stunning stories, incredible images, and magical moments. These are a few key skills needed to develop a great presentation that others may lack due to not having such innovative topics to present. I think Jobs presented Apple products in the best way possible by representing his technology in the same way he presents, advanced and effortlessly. The analysis of Jobs presentation techniques are spot on, but I don’t think they’re relatable to every presenter and their style.

I think Steve Jobs was a great presenter, however, I believe his continuous innovations allowed him to create phenomenal presentations. Having such a reputation gave Jobs the niche to not only capture the audience but leave them speechless. The ideas and technology Jobs was presenting were fresh to the world allowing him to create a presentation with; stunning stories, incredible images, and magical moments. These are a few key skills needed to develop a great presentation that others may lack due to not having such innovative topics to present. I think Jobs presented Apple products in the best way possible by representing his technology in the same way he presents, advanced and effortlessly. The analysis of Jobs presentation techniques are spot on, but I don’t think they’re relatable to every presenter and their style.

Steve Job’s was a great presenter in my opinion, however an important way of doing so that Mr Jobs did was by creating a presentation that was both simple and straight to the point on what he was presenting. This allows jobs to maintain the attention to the audience but also allow the audience to be able to follow along and understand the message without loosing track or falling behind. Doing this by making both his presentation and what he says simple and to the point. When watching other presenters from today introduce their products and what they have to feature it felt as though it was very similar to how Steve Jobs presented, simple and to the point. Because of this, I feel like Steve Jobs technique and how he presented inspired others and even allowed to follow what Jobs used to use it in their own presentation of their own products today.

I do believe that Steve Jobs was a great presenter and will probably be the greatest CEO Apple will have ever had. However, it is not only the presenting skills that make him making the company’s products look magical. While his slides are simple and his pictures are powerful, his biggest strength when it comes to presenting Apple’s newest products is neither of them. Instead, it is his authenticity, his passion for the technology he is introducing and his obsessive love with each new product presented. I believe that this is a key point the analysis of his presenting skills is missing. When we watch Steve Jobs unveil the iPhone to the public, we do not see a businessman hold a presentation on his company’s newest product, backed by the main facts that he had memorized over the last two weeks. We see a technology enthusiast that, after years of being a major part in the development and conceptualization of each new introduction, finally gets to tell everyone about his newest, greatest achievement yet. We see an entrepreneur, that not only founded the company but also saved it from bankruptcy, who has finally made his visions reality and can now enjoy introducing the world to his life’s work. This is what sets Steve Jobs apart from other speakers. This is what lets his presentations seem so effortless, his words so well chosen, and his products look so magical. We do not watch Steve Jobs present “one more Apple product”, instead we watch him invite us to see and use what he has dedicated his life to.

Steven Jobs was a fantastic presenter. His presentations did not feel like presentations, but like stories that draw the audience’s attention from start to end. He conveys sophisticated ideas with simplicity, and takes the audience step by step through the presentation with a flow. It is the right style of presentation for Apple’s product introduction, and Steve carried out with every perfect technique.
I agree with the analysis. From the simplicity of slides to the hand gestures, Steve was incredibly effective.

Undoubtedly, Steve Jobs will go down as the greatest technological presenter of all time. These videos try to uncover his secrets, however, there is no true way to pin down the way Steve Jobs presents. In a way, he calls on so many different techniques instead of selecting just one, playing that as his strong suit. However, the videos did not mention the way he created his own personal brand outside of the presentation, which may be the biggest trick up his sleeve. Even years after his tragic passing, a black turtle neck and round glasses is still the image of Steve Jobs. For some, coming to see Steve was just as great as a privilege as seeing the new iPhone before anyone else. This makes the media flood into the auditorium just to hear the incredible things this man is going to create to change the way society operates as a whole. As highlighted in the videos, though, Steve owns the stage. He walks out and tells funny anecdotes combined with massively powerful products that add to the allure of Apple as a brand. Whether Steve Jobs would be as successful as a presenter without such innovations is a null argument. Steve Jobs brought these creations to the world through these releases that continue to rewrite what is possible today. It is important to note also that Steve Jobs wrote the book on presenting. He was an incredible orator before we even looked to see what makes speakers motivational and effective. His passion is felt through the products he crafted, and without the genius mind of Steve Jobs, presentations included, the 2019 we see today would be much much different.

Steve Jobs does a good job as a presenter. He engages the audience well and is enthusiastic about what he is saying. In the above presentation, he presents the iPhone in 3 parts. This allows the excitement to build, which makes the big reveal of his product even better. Its also important to note that Steve Jobs builds his products so well that he has a lot more room for error when presenting. For example, he talks about his dominant market share with MP3’s. It is much easier to be confident about those numbers if he knows those numbers are remarkable. If he had less than 50% market share, for example, this emotion would come across as having false pride, which would hurt his presenting ability.
One technique mentioned in the video that I agreed with is his use of simple numbers. Humans are very visual creatures, so using things like pie charts greatly helps his message. This allows the audience to visualize how much more market share Apple has on the market. Another thing Steve does well is his body language. He genuinely seems excited to be on stage demonstrating his product. This is one of the most important skills for a presenter, to ensure that you seem interested in your product. If you seem indifferent about it, the audience will be able to tell. Overall, Steve Jobs is a great presenter. He acts very enthusiastically towards his projects, which makes for an overall better presentation.

Steve Jobs was an incredible presenter. I think that one thing you can pick up on with his style is that he was very confident. Everything he said and every feature he mentioned was delivered with great confidence, as if its was always the next big breakthrough. This is definitely a skill that can be developed, but it came very natural to him and you may not be able to become as great as him at it. You can tell that when he was on the stage, you were more focused and intrigued by him and his passion than by the actual topic of the presentation. Because of this, he was able to get your undivided attention no matter what. If you can achieve this, it will make for a much more successful presentation.

After watching the videos above, I agree that Steve Jobs is a fantastic presenter if for nothing more than his way of engaging with the audience. The second video made particular note of the fact that Jobs did an excellent jobs of telling stories, something I found to be especially important in a field such as technology that can to many people seem forbidding and even scary at times. By employing the use of stories, Jobs makes the technology not only easier to understand, but also seem more of a part of the daily life of the average person. He communicated in a succinct and direct manner, one that was always tailored to convey the essential information in an easily digestible manner. All of the techniques Jobs employed during his keynote speeches go toward the greater goal of connecting with those to whom he spoke. This connection with the audience is a simple factor, yet an essential part of basic communication theory (i.e. Berlo’s sender-message-channel-receiver model). Without the connection to his audience, Jobs would have lost a key part of the information that he was trying to convey. His presentation style exemplifies the skill of being cognizant of the roots of the scenario in which he finds himself. By boiling his message down to the bare essentials, he created a means for himself to build a meaningful connection for lasting impact.

I definitely agree that Steve Jobs was an effective presenter. His presenting style and the ways that he conveyed information were incredibly simple, yet extremely powerful. His knack for presenting was obvious through his ability to keep the audience engaged, almost as if they were waiting on the edge of their seats for what he would say next. With his excitement and his ability to follow a storyline, he truly did create what felt like magical moments for the crowd. I do believe, however, that his presentations had such a strong impact because of the content that he was presenting. Over the years, Apple has seen such great success with the continuous adoption of their products, and people were always itching to see what the company had in the works. By consistently improving upon their previous products, Apple seemed to be making something bigger (though it may have physically been thinner or smaller) and better with each new product release. I think that certainly contributed to the level of impact that Steve Jobs’ presentations had on audiences. The visuals he displayed and the words that he would speak were strong and effective because he was a genuine man and great presenter, but also because his presentations were about something that people were extremely eager to learn more about.